1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display devices and systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a personal visor supported display a wearer employs to selectively view visual information, while enabling increased forward looking visibility when the visual information is not being viewed.
2. Background and Objects of the Invention
The advent of micro-electronic systems has lead to the development of a large variety of personal electronic systems that may be belt worn or carried in a pocket of a user. Examples of such systems include stereo cassette players, Compact disk players, AM/FM radios, handheld games, wireless telephones, televisions, specialized and general purpose computers, etc. These devices always include means to support the exchange of information with the user. For example, when considering a portable stereo cassette, a pair of headphones and a simple arrangement of controls may be provided as such a means.
When considering the need to support the delivery of visual information (including text and or visual images) to a user via a hands free arrangement, it should be noted that presently available personal display arrangements significantly restrict the forward looking view or vision of a wearer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,449 to Heacock et al. teaches a "binocular head mounted display system". However, the Heacock display arrangement, as well as others available in the art, are fixed in position. Such devices significantly or totally restrict the forward looking view of a user. Accordingly, if a wearer of such a display needs an improved forward looking view, the display must be lifted and or removed. It would be desirable to have a display arrangement that enables a wearer to selectively view visual information (when necessary), while still allowing at least limited forward looking vision to be maintained. In addition, a display means would be most preferred that significantly improves a forward looking view when said visual information does not need to be viewed.
Accordingly, the present invention provides new and improved visor supported display arrangements having one or more of the following capabilities, features, characteristics, and or advantages:
a compact, self-contained visor supportable display arrangement; PA1 constructed with a simple housing having a main portion and a moveable portion; PA1 the movable portion movable from a closed position (providing at least a partial forward looking view to the wearer) to an open position which enables visual information to be viewed by a wearer; PA1 includes at least one active display element within a display module to present the visual information to a user/wearer; PA1 may include an interface module to operatively couple the visor display to a visual information source to enable visual information to be received and displayed by the visor supported display; PA1 may include a reflective surface fixed to the movable portion to enable a reflection of an image produced by the display module to be viewed by a wearer; PA1 head worn display arrangement possibly receiving power from the visual information source; PA1 simple architecture; and PA1 economical construction using a number of off-the-shelf parts and components. PA1 The above listed capabilities, characteristics, and or associated novel features of the present invention, as well as others, will become clear from a careful review of the description and figures provided herein. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings and descriptions are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the appended claims.